Japan Travel Guide: The 25 Things You Need To Do In Japan

25 Reasons We Should All Be In Japan Right Now

There are many reasons to visit Japan. There's adventure, culture, shopping, hobbies — you name it and you can find it in Japan. But if you're not quite sure what to do, what to see, where to eat, experiences to have, or events to attend, we here at AskMen have put together a list of the 25 things that you have to see and feel when visting the Land of the Rising Sun.

Must-Do: Bullet Train Bento

Chow down on a Bento Box while hooking along at 320km/h on Japan’s famous high-speed rail network. The bullet links the whole island, from Aomori in the north right down to Kagoshima at the southern tip of Japan.

Event To See: Nozawa Fire Festival

One of the three great fire festivals and spectacles of Japanese culture, the Nozawa Fire Festival takes a hundred villagers and countless months of preparation to construct a large shrine in the middle of town. A ceremony is carried out at the shrine and then a “fire setting battle” erupts between two teams — offense tries to light the wooden shrine and defense attempting to foil them.

Place To Go: Mount Fuji

Mt Fuji is Japan’s highest and most prominent mountain peak (as well as being reigstered as a World Heritage Site by Unesco). Trails are open for July and until early September each year for willing climbers.

Experience: Kendo & Karate Tournaments

Anyone who appreciates Japanese martial arts should visit Nippon-budokan where you can see numerous demonstrations or tournaments of Kendo, Judo and Karate. Legend has it that Mr. Miyagi once trained in the same building.

Place To Eat: Park Hyatt Hotel Bar

Pretend you’re Bill Murray from Lost in Translation, at the New York inspired bar in the Park Hyatt Tokyo hotel in this neighborhood of Shinjuku. They serve all the major Japanese whiskey brands and host live jazz performances. Alternatively, if whiskey isn't you're thing and you're looking for a nice glass of cold beer, make sure to check out the Sapporo Beer Garden in Hokkaido.

An Adrenaline Hit: Surf At Shonan

When you think of wave-rich Pacific Islands, Japan doesn’t immediately spring to mind. But the western coastline is home to hundreds of kilometers of dark-sandy beaches, and loads of hidden reefs, points, and rivermouths for all level of surfers who are keen to explore.

Must-Do: Onsen Time

After a hard day pummeling powdery snow on the slopes, you simply can’t beat soaking your bruised and battered body in one of Japan’s many Onsens (hot springs). Be warned though, finding a quality Onsens can be a bit of a lucky dip. Some are sourced from natural hot water springs from underground, and others are just man-made hot water baths, which are a bit on the tacky side. But they all serve a purpose, especially after a big day on the mountain.

Event To See: Cherry Blossom Festival

The celebration of the Native Japanese Cherry Blossom Trees that bloom each spring draws hundreds and thousands of people to Japan every year. There is no set date for the event and the festival only starts when the flowers decide to bloom, which is usually between mid-March and early April.

Experience: Naoshima Art Island

There is nowhere in the world that even remotely resembles Naoshima Art Island. Not only does it have sandy beaches, sunny weather and a unique Mediterranean atmosphere, it's also home to the country's vibrant art scene. Known for its modern art museums, architecture and sculptures, this is a hot spot for anyone looking to dive head first into Japan’s rich art scene.

Place To Eat: Maid Cafe

Maid Cafes are a major cultural icon in Japan, especially for overseas travelers. As cosplay went up in popularity, so did the demand for seeing people dressed up. At Maid Cafes you can enjoy the feeling of being the master of your own domain — the maids.

Must-Do: Use The Bathroom

Can a toilet really be bucket list worthy? In this case, yes. A Japanese toilet is like a theme park ride. Not only will your backside be warm thanks to their glorious heated seats, these bad boys can also clean you up with an adjustable stream of hot water, then dry you with a burst of gloriously warm air. The more high-end versions will also flush automatically when you stand up.

Event To See: Kanda Matsuri Festival

One of the three Shinto festivals of Tokyo, it started as a celebration of Tokugawa Ieyasu's victory in the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600. Held on the weekend that's closest to May 15th, it only takes places on odd numbered years and takes place at the Kanda Shrine in Tokyo. It's packed with over 200 mikoshi (a portable shrine of sorts), floats and a ton of music.

Place To Go: Kiyosumi-Shirakawa in Tokyo

Since the opening of the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, this quiet neighborhood of old school Tokyo has turned into the intersection of art, shrine and temples, and the Japanese garden. There are a ton of art galleries and coffee shops including a version of San Francisco’s Blue Bottle Coffee. Fun fact: There are many roasteries in this area because there were many wood warehouses with high ceilings. Tall warehouses are perfect to set up the roaster, which requires flue duct.

Experience: Streets of Harajuku

This place is known as one of the weird and wonderful hotspots of Japan. On any given visit, you’ll see a bunch of different Elvises, goths, people dressed in anime costumes, and kids running around dressed like robots. The ever-changing and always impressive local street art features ladies dressed like they’re from the UK in the 1800s (in a sexy way). This place is people-watching at its finest.

Place To Eat: Bar Hop The Golden Gai

Consisting of six tiny alleys lined by almost two hundred microscopic bars. The buildings in the dimly lit alleys are ramshackle and sometimes only a meter wide, but they make up for all this in fun and character.

An Adrenaline Hit: Ride Takabisha

Fujikyu Highland in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi is home to the world’s steepest roller coaster, boasting a maximum speed of 100km/h and a stomach churning 121-degree tilt drop in free fall. Hot tip: Save your sushi binge until after this ride.

Must Do: Knife Upgrade

Japanese knives are known by culinary enthusiasts as some of the best in the world due to their razor-sharp edges and hand-folded steel (a technique that has been perfected over thousands of years). Seek out Kappabashi Street in the kitchen district to find yourself some reputable knifemakers producing fine Damascus blades.

Event To See: Sapporo Yuki Matsuri

The Sapporo Yuki Matsuri is a massive 7-day snow festival that attracts over two million people each year. International teams compete to build the biggest and best buildings and sculptures out of snow and ice. The detail and sheer size of these sculptures is out of this world.

Experience: Sumo Grand Tournament

How can one visit Japan and not take in a sumo wrestling match? The Grand Sumo Tournaments (known as Honbasho) take place throughout the year, and each tournament lasts for 15 days. There's one in Osaka in March, Nayoga in July, Fukuoka in November, and the three in Tokyo (January, May, and September), so no matter what season it is, you're sure to catch one.

Place To Eat: Robot Restaurant

Just like the robots in Hugh Jackman’s Real Steel blockbuster. Watch full-sized robots battle it out, dance and sing their way through dinner service. This restaurant in the heart of Shinjuku dishes up catered chaos and sheer entertainment like no other.

An Adrenaline Hit: Rock Climbing At Ogawayama

There’s a massive slice of rock climbing heaven located on the border between Yamanashi and Nagano. It’s a popular and technical mountain for both local and international rock climbers and the huge rock face offers over a thousand climbing trails to discover and conquer.